


Steal a Relic, Find a Heart

by Sarixa



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, In which a thief sort of stalks a mage for a few days to steal a relic, M/M, Mage!Zexion, Thief AU, Thief!Demyx
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-11 01:53:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7871029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarixa/pseuds/Sarixa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Demyx had a wish. To grant said wish, he needed a pair of ancient relics, one of which he already had. The other relic was under the possession of a powerful mage, and as much as Demyx hated playing the 'wait and snatch' game, that's just what he had to do. He just hadn't anticipated this mage being quite distractingly attractive. (Zemyx)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Steal a Relic, Find a Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the KH Worlds Connected 2016 Fanfic/Fanart Collab Project!
> 
> My best friend and wonderful collab partner, Koto (aka [imperioustempest](http://imperioustempest.tumblr.com) on tumblr) made a gorgeous piece of art to accompany this fic! You can see it [HERE!](http://imperioustempest.tumblr.com/post/149845109966/finished-this-for-the-kh-worldsconnected-fanzine)
> 
> For Koto, who gave me the initial idea for this fic and made her lovely art of course. It was great getting to team up for this! <3
> 
> ...
> 
>  **EDIT:** (8/29/16) After some helpful suggestions, I've revised/condensed the first half of this fic and cut out a lot of the filler, so we get to Demyx and Zexion and interacting much sooner, and hopefully improving the flow of this fic.

It wasn't easy being a thief, especially when there was waiting involved. The watching and waiting was the worst part and Demyx would rather chew his own arm off than have to wait long to snatch his prize. The sweltering heat did nothing to help, though he was used to it, having lived in the desert his entire life. And perhaps chewing his arm off was an exaggeration, but waiting was certainly, without a doubt, the most mind-numbing part of stealing.

Fortunately, Demyx considered himself a pretty good thief. He was almost positive that, in a previous life, he had even been good enough to steal from the gods themselves. At the very least, it gave him a nice little confidence boost and that confidence carried him through some of his more elaborate thefts. It helped that he was rather skilled at gathering information. One particular rumor he'd latched onto a year prior was the legend of a pair of ancient relics that, when put together, would grant any wish. Demyx had managed to find one of the relics months ago, without even needing to steal it. Only the other relic remained and he finally tracked it down after several months.

That was how Demyx found himself sitting in an empty, long-abandoned house for the second night in a row, peering through one of the windows at the house across the street, where one of the city’s local mages resided - one of the few who even held such special relics. His name was Zexion - powerful, according to rumors, but someone who remained solitary for the most part. It couldn't be too difficult to steal from a man who lived alone and rarely associated with anyone around him.

Demyx's plan was simple: observe Zexion, figure out his routine, and study it long enough to find the right moment to infiltrate his empty home with enough time to find the relic. How hard could it be?

Except that he hadn't counted on developing a rather distracting  _ crush  _ on said mage.

…

**_2nd Day_ **

Finding Zexion and following him home the night before had been easy, what with the man’s dark cloak - the hood drawn up anytime he went outside, making him quite conspicuous in a crowd. After scoping out the area, Demyx found the abandoned house he was now using as a base of operations, a small sack of food he’d prepared the night before at his side. From where he sat, he could see through two of Zexion’s windows.

So far, the thief had gathered that Zexion had quite the collection of fancy trinkets - shiny baubles, spinning contraptions, ever-changing streams of colors on the walls, elegant books, and the like. Fortunately, having owned the other relic for some time, Demyx knew exactly what he was looking for and was sure he’d be able to find it amongst the other treasures.

He watched Zexion leave just before dawn, returning hours later with an armful of food and supplies.

And then he caught sight of the man lowering his hood, Demyx edging closer to get a better look with a slow inhale.

At first sight, Zexion was surprisingly attractive, with smooth, soft features and what looked like the bluest of blue eyes, like a pair of sapphires, half hidden behind a curtain of slate-blue-gray hair. Demyx only just managed to duck back into hiding when Zexion’s gaze swept in his direction. 

“Shit, hope he didn’t see me…” Demyx muttered to himself, running a nervous hand through his hair. He’d never been quite so taken aback by someone’s looks before and he mentally berated himself for getting distracted. He was there to steal a relic from the mage, not stare at his admittedly pretty face damn it. But after getting over his initial dreamy haziness, Demyx pushed himself to focus on the task at hand, peering out the window once again.

“Okay, Zexion. You may be  _ cute _ , but I need that relic and I  _ will  _ get it from you. Heheh.”

…

**_3rd Day_ **

By the third day, Demyx was picking up a pattern in Zexion’s daily routine. Zexion always left home before dawn, returning hours later with supplies. Once home, he would make his potions,  Demyx watching him with rapt attention, mesmerized by both Zexion’s purposeful movements and the bubbling cauldrons.

Zexion kept some of the finished potions, taking the rest with him back to the market to sell in the afternoon. Afterward, he would have dinner and curl up in a large, old, comfortable chair with a cup of tea and one of his many books as the sun set. Once settled, he made a few delicate hand gestures, muttering something Demyx couldn’t make out. Small orbs of colorful, floating flames flickered to life, lighting up the room. The light reflected off the shiny trinkets and baubles like glittering stars.

Across the street, Demyx nibbled at a piece of fish he'd snatched from the market that morning, watching the various lights and shadows dance across the mage’s face. The sight was beautiful and captivating. He wondered how the lights would look in those bright blue eyes. His fingers itched to brush that hair aside and uncover the other half of Zexion’s face.

…

**_3rd Night_ **

The sky was dotted with stars. Demyx had long since finished his stolen piece of fish, the bones piled in the corner. The thief’s blue-green gaze had been trained outside the window all night, peering into the house across the street where the mage had fallen asleep, book forgotten in his lap. The magic lights surrounding him had died down to a gentle glow, making Zexion look almost ethereal.

Demyx smiled to himself as he watched from his hiding place, thoughts swimming in a haze of exhaustion. He would’ve liked to have met Zexion under better circumstances. But when would they have had a chance to meet, being from different worlds and being so different?

Wasn’t Zexion lonely? Or perhaps he liked solitude after all.

Demyx couldn’t live that way. He craved company. He craved conversation. It was why he sought out other thieves, why he constantly made casual friendships, always seeking companionship. The nights alone were too silent and he’d always needed something to fill them. He didn’t know how Zexion could stand it. The notion was fascinating, in a way Demyx never wanted to experience himself.

Would the mage ever break that life of solitude? Would he let anyone in, much less someone like Demyx?

The thought of befriending Zexion was quickly growing appealing with each passing day and, as Demyx drifted off to sleep, his mind conjured many different scenarios under which they would meet.

…

**_4th Day_ **

The following morning, Demyx woke up with a start, the sun high in the sky and beaming bright, bearing down its warmth on the thief’s face. He’d overslept.

“Shiiiiit, that’s what I get for staying up late.” He rubbed at his face in frustration, determined not to let it happen again. For now, he settled in for another day of watching.

…

**_4th Night_ **

Demyx followed Zexion that afternoon, not wanting to be left alone with the silence for the second time that day. Though Zexion lingered longer than usual that day, returning home from selling his potions as the sun was setting, a fact with Demyx found odd. He also couldn’t help but notice an increase in the shiny treasures the man had lying around.

With a newly stolen piece of bread in his hands, the blond settled in to eat. Across the street, Zexion prepared his own meal.

But there was only so much longer he could keep this up. As attractive as Zexion was, Demyx couldn’t stay in hiding, watching him for as long as he wanted. He  _ did  _ have a goal to accomplish after all, a treasure to acquire, and a pretty face was not going to deter him.

“Tomorrow.” 

Determined, Demyx curled up in the corner to sleep for the night.

…

**_5th Day, Morning_ **

Things were off when Demyx woke up.

While he did wake up on time, ready to steal the relic as soon as Zexion left for his daily supplies, he was surprised to see the mage idling about in his home with no apparent intent to get ready to leave. Was something wrong? Why was today different? Demyx edged a little closer to the window, trying to get a better look. Nothing in the house seemed out of place. Zexion seemed to be struggling, however, moving slowly and strangely.

A nagging, anxious feeling prickled at Demyx’s stomach, his fingers clenching and unclenching around the hem of his shirt. What if something  _ was  _ wrong? What if Zexion was ill? The mage lived alone, with no one to look after him if he was sick or check up on him if he went missing for days. At least Demyx assumed so.

Either way, the worry was getting to him and it took all his willpower to keep from running out of his hiding place to check on the mage, until he saw Zexion stumble, holding a hand to his head before collapsing entirely.

“Ah! No!” Determined to help, Demyx scrambled to his feet and spun around, ready to dash outside. The time for waiting was over. He managed a step or two forward, only to be met with the glaring face of the very man he  _ just  _ saw collapse, that beautiful, visible blue eye intense and dark and much, much closer than he ever thought he’d see it.

“ _ Can I help you _ ?”

“WAAAHHHH!!!” Stumbling backward, Demyx tripped over himself and fell hard on his backside with a cry, a hand flying to his chest. “AH,  _ heavens _ , I’m too young to die of a heart attack… Owww…” With his free hand, he gently rubbed at his rear for a moment before slowly looking up. “Um. H-hiiii…? Wait, but-huh???” Blinking, Demyx glanced toward the window, as if it would provide him with an answer to Zexion’s sudden appearance, turning back to look at the silent, unimpressed mage, who had his arms crossed over his chest. “But you were just-! And now you’re-! But! ...HOW?!?!”

“ _ That _ was merely an illusion,-” 

Oh, Zexion’s voice was like velvety  _ cream  _ or rare, expensive  _ silk _ , and Demyx was drawn by the sound, as he’d been drawn by everything else about the mage over the past few days.

“-one of the many traps I’ve laid out for you. I don’t know whether to be impressed or disappointed that this is the one that got you. Were my other traps not enticing enough for you? Are you even a thief at all or just a shameless voyeur?”

“Shameless wha-Oh…  _ Oh _ .” Demyx’s cheeks flushed scarlet and he was internally horrified to realize that Zexion technically wasn’t  _ wrong _ . He  _ had  _ been watching him perhaps a little too intensely all week, but there was no way he’d actually admit to that. They  _ were  _ still strangers after all. “No, of course not!”

“Right,” Zexion replied in a bored tone, not believing him for a moment. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t have you arrested here and now.”

It wasn’t until Zexion uttered those words that Demyx realized he’d failed. He’d failed terribly and, not only did he end up empty-handed, he now faced arrest. There was no way he could slip away from the mage now, not if he was powerful and, judging by that illusion, he undoubtedly was.The sting of defeat was painful, after all the work and waiting he’d put into finding these relics. Had he really just lost his only chance to have his wish granted? Was this it? He felt so stupid.

Demyx pushed himself to his feet and held his hands up defensively, sparing Zexion a look that was half sheepish, half apologetic. If he explained, would Zexion understand? Would he care? Not many  _ would  _ care to help a petty thief. Fewer still would even believe them. Would the truth be worth telling? Demyx didn’t have much to lose, but he had to try.

“Sorry, I  _ am  _ a thief, but I swear I wasn’t going to steal anything really valuable, just… just one thing, that’s all.”

“And  _ what _ , exactly, is this one item you were hoping to steal from me?” Zexion’s gaze was intimidating, making Demyx feel small despite being taller than the mage by several inches.

“Well…” It was now or never. Lowering his hands, Demyx rubbed at the back of his neck and began explaining. “It’s an ancient relic, about... this big,” he paused to gesture with his free hand, “and when it’s paired with the other one just like it, it’s supposed to grant a wish. Or that’s what I heard anyway. I have the other relic back home, I just need the one  _ you  _ have.”

Zexion’s visible eyebrow rose with the explanation as he eyed Demyx curiously. “A pair of relics. That grant a wish.”

“Y-yeah...Is-is that dumb? Like, it’s just a rumor, but I really wanted to at least try…”

Zexion sighed and turned, heading out the door, Demyx blinking stupidly at his back. He was just leaving? “Come with me.”  Oh. Well, okay then.

It took Demyx a moment to realize Zexion actually  _ had  _ asked him to follow and he sprinted to catch up, surprised to find them entering Zexion’s home. “Um, why are we, uh, I mean, you’re letting me into your house. I thought you wanted to have me arrested.”

“I do.” Demyx flinched at that, staring at Zexion’s back.

“You intended to steal from me and you’ve been invading my privacy all week with your blatant voyeurism. However, I also feel a need to clarify something for you for your sake and understanding. Now, because you  _ are  _ a thief, I must warn you that if you attempt to take anything, you  _ will  _ burn your hand. I’ve enchanted everything with an overheating spell to keep your grubby hands from touching my things.” Zexion led him into another room, one that Demyx hadn’t been able to see through his window, filled with even more books and magical objects.

“Grubby?!” Now Demyx was mildly offended, hurt that Zexion thought so little of him, even if he probably deserved it. “I told you I wasn’t going to take anything other than the relic!”

“And why should I believe you?”

Demyx opened his mouth to retort, but couldn’t think of anything to say, so he closed it, sighing dejectedly. “Fine.”

“I didn’t think so. Now, if you’ll just stand there and pay attention…” Zexion poured over various shelves, searching for something. Demyx wasn’t sure what it was until the mage pulled it out, aqua-green eyes widening when they landed on the object in Zexion’s hand - the relic he needed!

Pure instinct kicked in. Without even thinking once, much less twice, Demyx reached out, snatched the relic from Zexion’s hand, and bolted out of the room. He made it as far as the kitchen, halfway to the door, before the sharp, burning sensation in his hand made him drop the relic with a pained shout. Stumbling backwards against a counter, he held up his hand to see it burned and blistered, as if he’d been holding a hot rod. “Ahhh… Ow. Ow… Fuck. What the  _ hell… _ ?”

A sigh came from beside him, making him jump and turn to look, Zexion standing there, exasperated. “Did you not listen to what I said at all? I’ve enchanted  _ everything _ .” He bent over to pick up the relic, safely pocketing it.

Demyx frowned as he held his hand, practically hissing at the mage. “How come  _ you  _ didn’t get burned?!”

Zexion looked at him like it was the most obvious answer in the world. “I can’t harm myself with my own spells. Now sit before your hand permanently scars.”

“Wha?”

“ _ Sit _ .” Without waiting for Demyx to obey, Zexion moved past him and rummaged through the various potion bottles on his shelf, picking one out from somewhere near the back. The liquid inside was a minty-green color, with a consistency more like jelly than actual liquid. “... _ Well _ ?”

“Um…” Demyx had been staring at him blankly, but despite his confusion, he decided to follow along, taking a seat in the lone chair by the kitchen table. “What’s that?”

“This,” Zexion began as he uncorked the bottle and poured a generous amount into his open hand, “is a healing salve.” Seeing Demyx open his mouth to ask, Zexion continued to explain before the thief even uttered a word. “My intention was to  _ warn  _ you, not harm you. And I did warn you. Now, give me your hand.”

Still mostly dumbfounded and in quite a lot of pain, Demyx could only hold out his hand and stare at it as Zexion took it in both of his own, gently massaging the salve into the abused skin. He hissed sharply as Zexion’s fingers moved over his palm, still feeling the blistering burns before the delayed icy-cool touch began to set in. “ _ Oww… _ ”

“I  _ did  _ warn you,” Zexion repeated without looking up, focused entirely on spreading the healing salve all over Demyx’s hand.

After a while, the pain finally dulled away, the skin feeling minty-cool, save for where Zexion’s hands remained in contact. There, he felt warm, tingly. Finally, he looked up to see Zexion’s face, the mage still fully concentrated. There was a methodical kind of intensity in those blue eyes now, the same they seemed to have whenever Zexion made his potions or read his books. Demyx could watch him all day. Well, he  _ had  _ been, but not this close, not with the man’s warm touch on his skin, and Demyx was pretty sure he’d never felt this sort of tingling sensation all over his body before.

Zexion could feel Demyx’s eyes on him, but he was somewhat used to that by now after the past few days, trying to keep himself from getting too irritated at the thief’s staring. Instead he kept his eyes down and asked a question he’d been wanting to ask since Demyx mentioned the relics and the wish.

“Now what on Earth do you wish for so badly to make you go through all this trouble?”

The answer was almost immediate, but soft, sad. “Family.”

Zexion looked up and Demyx looked away, embarrassed to have been caught staring again and feeling anxious from the answer he’d just given.

“Family?”

“Yeah… You know. Mn.” Demyx stared at his lap, trying to describe the feelings of longing he’d kept stored up all these years. “Someone to go home to. Someone who keeps you warm. People to talk to and laugh with and… and just…” He trailed off and looked at their hands, Zexion’s gently rubbing circles into Demyx’s fingers. “Make you feel loved.” Those last few words were barely above a whisper, Zexion almost missed it. “I don’t know how you do it. Living alone like this. I couldn’t.”

“You learn to live with the silence.” Zexion wrapped his hand in a bandage so it could finish healing, pulling away after. Demyx immediately missed the touch, the cooling salve settling in faster than he would’ve preferred. “Wait here.” Zexion turned and left the room, soon returning with a very old and worn scroll.

Demyx blinked and watched as Zexion unrolled it, setting it down on the table. “What’s that?”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news and crush your wishes like this, but you’ve been misinformed. I’m sure you can’t read this, but I studied this scroll long ago. It describes, in quite horrific detail mind you, what would happen if you link the two relics together.” Zexion gestured over the scroll with his hands, pointing out small illustrations that were drawn in between blocks of ancient text.

While Demyx certainly couldn’t read the intricate words, the pictures were enough to give him an idea that he was very much wrong.

Zexion continued, reading a passage of the old text before explaining it. “...Meaning, if you were to put the relics together, you would summon one of the hellbeasts of the underworld.”

“... _ Oh _ .” Well that was the  _ last  _ thing Demyx ever wanted. His stomach fell as he realized he’d been fruitlessly chasing these relics for over a year, feeling worse knowing that his attempt to have his wish granted could’ve ended in utter catastrophe. Sighing, Demyx stood from the chair, prompting Zexion to look up, and slowly shuffled toward the door, dejected and wanting nothing more than to get home. “Sorry for bothering you.”

“Where are you going?”

Instead of an answer, what he heard was the rumbling gurgle of Demyx’s empty stomach, which made the thief pause at the door, glancing down at his stomach in absolute betrayal. He’d eaten the night before! Why was his stomach grumbling now? Mildly amused, Zexion rolled his eyes and rolled up the scroll before turning to the kitchen. “Stay, I’ll make you something to eat.”

Demyx didn’t move, disbelief in his voice. “...What?”

“I’m going to guess you have nothing to eat back home. At least have something before you go.” Zexion dug through his pantry, pulling out enough to make breakfast for the two of them, not bothering to wait for Demyx’s answer, all thoughts of having him arrested gone by now. He’d have to go the market later, since he’d missed his morning run, but this had been a rather eventful morning and a surprisingly enjoyable break in his normal routine.

Demyx turned to find Zexion hard at work, actually cooking for them as he said he would, and for a moment he felt that warmth again, the same warmth he’d felt when Zexion was touching his hand. He walked over to the window instead and looked out to watch the sky change colors with the rising sun, heart feeling just a little less heavy.

“I just realized I never asked your name,” Zexion piped up from where he stood, lighting a fire under a pot of water.

“Hm? Oh, it’s… It’s Demyx.”

“Demyx. My name is Zexion.”

Technically, Demyx already knew that, but it was nice to hear it from the man himself. “N-nice to meet you, Zexion.” There was chuckle behind him and Demyx turned to see the mage eyeing him in amusement. 

A moment later, Zexion’s expression sobered, voice soft as he spoke. “I’m sorry you couldn’t have your wish granted. You seem like you have a good heart.”

That brought a flush to Demyx’s cheeks as he mumbled nervously. “Nah, it’s… It’s okay.” They stood in silence for a while before Demyx felt an urge to do something he’d been wanting to do for days. “Hey, um, Zexion?”

“Yes?” The mage tilted his head in curiosity.

Demyx took a step closer, raising his good hand and leaving it just hovering in front of Zexion’s face. “Can I…? Um. You have really pretty eyes…”

Zexion clearly hadn’t been expecting that, cheeks going pink. “...Do I? ...Thank you. Yes, I suppose you may.”

Slowly, gently, Demyx brushed the slate hair aside and leaned in closer, smiling as he got a good look at the beautiful blue eyes. “Wow.” And Zexion found himself staring into Demyx’s own sea-colored eyes, distracted by the life and depth in them.

The sound of the boiling water pulled them apart, Zexion darting away perhaps a little too quickly to tend to their breakfast. Demyx didn’t miss the flush of the mage’s cheeks, sure that his own cheeks were burning.

…

Once they had their fill of food, which was eaten in silence, Zexion washed their plates and turned to the thief with an inquisitive eye. “Would you like to join me to the market?”

Demyx blinked in surprise, feeling a flutter in his stomach. First Zexion had asked him to stay and now he was inviting Demyx to go with him to the market? This morning was turning out a little better after all, Demyx almost couldn’t handle it. The smile on his face was wide and bright as he replied. “Mmm, nah, but… maybe another time?” His voice betrayed his hope. He’d like to see Zexion again, if at all possible.

Tilting his head, Zexion seemed to consider it before answering. “Yes, I think that would be acceptable.”

It took all of Demyx’s will to keep from jumping for joy in that moment, wanting to throw his hands in the air in absolute glee. Instead, he got an even better idea - a bold, daring idea that had him nearly shuffling in anxiety. But he couldn’t resist. Taking a few steps forward, Demyx quickly closed the gap between them and leaned in far enough to press an eager kiss to Zexion’s lips. He felt the mage tense up, but since he wasn't pushed away, he lingered for a moment before pulling away and making a wild dash for the door. 

“Sorry Zexion! I’m still a thief after all! I had to steal  _ one  _ thing while I was here, it's in my nature!” Waving frantically, Demyx left the house, laughing without abandon as he ran off in the direction of home.

“Wha-... You-...! How  _ dare- _ ...!” Zexion stood in the middle of his house in shock, face bright red, blindly grasping for words, to no avail. He’d sooner disappear than admit he’d actually enjoyed the kiss from the admittedly cute thief.

And maybe, just maybe, Demyx had his wish granted that day after all.


End file.
